Your garbage disposal is a useful piece of kitchen equipment which nevertheless deserves good
care and attention, as any other kitchen tool. While it can handle plenty of types of foods and
waste, it is recommended to avoid disposing of several items. This article talks about five things
you should never put down your garbage disposal.

1. Grease

Grease and oil will not damage the blades themselves but they can form a greasy coating on the
blades and decrease the machine’s efficiency. What’s more, in time they can clog the pipes and
this can lead to troublesome plumbing issues.

2. Coffee

Coffee, both in the form of grounds and beans, can clog your garbage disposal, this is why it is
not recommended to get rid of these remains by throwing them in the sink. While the coffee
grounds may seem to be an easy job for the garbage disposal, they can, in time, form a sediment-
like substance. You can throw them in the trash can or, if you prefer, make compost.

3. Fibrous vegetables

Examples include celery, asparagus and corn husks. These are made out of fibrous strings that
tangle around the garbage disposal’s blades.

4. Fruit pits

Fruit pits are another fruit byproduct that should not be through down the garbage disposal. A
food example is to think of how hard it is to pierce through an avocado seed, for example, and
then imagine how your garbage disposal would handle that – even if it is a powerful and modern
model. You can risk not only damaging the blades but also burning the motor.

5. Pasta and rice

Starchy foods like pasta, rice and potatoes can clog the pipes if you repeatedly throw them into
the garbage disposal. A good example is to imagine how pasta or rice that has been left in water
for too long tends to swell. When thrown down the drain these foods are likely to swell and clog
the pipes, causing additional plumbing problems. The same can apply to potato peals, which
have been known to accumulate and, in time, block the disposal.
You can unclog the garbage disposal by using a wrench to unblock any parts and then cleaning
and washing the device as needed.

6. Bones

When throwing bones in the garbage disposal the usual outcome will be that they will continue
to spin endlessly around the blades. And even if or when the blades finally chop them down, it is
likely that they will not go down the drain pipes. Similarly, you should avoid throwing clam or
oyster shells.

Although they are not the equivalent of bones, egg shells are another item you should not dispose
of via the garbage disposal. While the blades of the grinder are strong enough to handle the shells
themselves, it possible for the membrane lining to wrap around the shredder.
While foodstuffs and leftovers are the types of things most commonly thrown down the garbage
disposer, we recommend avoiding throwing any non-food items like cigarette buds, fabric,
sponges or rubber bands.

Whenever you are having issues with your garbage disposal that you cannot resolve by yourself,
you can contact a Singapore plumber. This is recommended especially if significant repairs or
a complete replacement is needed.

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22 comments on “6 Things You Should Never Put Down Your Garbage Disposal”

This is such an eye-opener. I never quite know the damage these things will cause. Gosh. What a comprehensive list. You’ve got it all covered here. Thanks for sharing. I’m much enlightened now about what I can and can’t throw into the bin and best of all calling the right guy for the job. Genius! Thanks.

Great article for people like me who just moved to the USA n first time using the garbage disposal. Never had to use one before in msia/spore.
But old habits die hard, I still throw all my foodstuff in the garbage… Lols

Hi, You have really shared your views on such a nice and interesting topic. Liked it. People are not really concern about it these things but the points you have raised matters like coupon data api which can help in many ways for people.

Good read! I always try to make sure that I don’t do this to my sink as much as I can. It would be more troublesome when we have issues with the pipe. Money spent for repair aside, imagine the inconvenience that we hafta go thru 🙁